Weather-Responsive Weather-Responsive Transportation Management Transportation Management

ROEMER ALFELORROEMER ALFELORFederal Highway AdministrationFederal Highway Administration

NTOC WebcastNTOC WebcastMarch 14, 2007March 14, 2007

FHWA Road Weather ManagementFHWA Road Weather Management

Program Goals:Program Goals:

Better understand the impacts of weather (i.e. Better understand the impacts of weather (i.e. snow, rain, fog, wind, heat, etc.) on highway snow, rain, fog, wind, heat, etc.) on highway operationsoperations

Develop, promote and implement strategies and Develop, promote and implement strategies and tools to mitigate those impactstools to mitigate those impacts

Weather Impacts on Highway SystemWeather Impacts on Highway System

SafetySafety– Approx 1.57 million weather-related crashes/yearApprox 1.57 million weather-related crashes/year

MobilityMobility– About 25% of non-recurring delays on freeways is due to weather, total system delay is 1 billion hrs/yr.About 25% of non-recurring delays on freeways is due to weather, total system delay is 1 billion hrs/yr.

ProductivityProductivity– Weather affects about 1/3 of the national GDPWeather affects about 1/3 of the national GDP

EnvironmentEnvironment– Chemical anti-icing and deicing account for roughly 1/3 of expenditures for snow and ice controlChemical anti-icing and deicing account for roughly 1/3 of expenditures for snow and ice control

Road Weather ManagementRoad Weather ManagementProgram ElementsProgram Elements

Partnership and CollaborationPartnership and Collaboration

Tools and TechnologiesTools and Technologies

Customer Service, Training and Customer Service, Training and OutreachOutreach

Program Monitoring and EvaluationProgram Monitoring and Evaluation

Road Weather ManagementRoad Weather ManagementTools and TechnologiesTools and Technologies

Maintenance Decision Support (i.e. MDSS)Maintenance Decision Support (i.e. MDSS)

Road Weather Observation and Road Weather Observation and Forecasting (i.e. Forecasting (i.e. ClarusClarus))

Weather-Responsive Transportation Weather-Responsive Transportation ManagementManagement

Weather Responsive Weather Responsive Transportation Management (WRTM)Transportation Management (WRTM)

Goals: Develop strategies and tools to help Goals: Develop strategies and tools to help agencies effectively manage traffic and agencies effectively manage traffic and highway operations during inclement weather.highway operations during inclement weather.

WRTM Strategies:WRTM Strategies:

AdvisoryAdvisory

ControlControl

TreatmentTreatment

WRTM Measures of SuccessWRTM Measures of Success

Transportation agencies use current and forecast Transportation agencies use current and forecast road and weather conditions to manage and road and weather conditions to manage and control traffic flow and highway operationscontrol traffic flow and highway operations

Weather impacts incorporated in traffic analysis Weather impacts incorporated in traffic analysis and engineering modelsand engineering models

Motorists receive and respond to road weather Motorists receive and respond to road weather and traffic information and traffic information

Weather Response System for Weather Response System for Transportation Transportation

Integration of Weather into Traffic Integration of Weather into Traffic Management/Operations CenterManagement/Operations Center

Empirical Studies on Weather and Empirical Studies on Weather and TrafficTraffic

Current WRTM ActivitiesCurrent WRTM Activities

Weather Response System (WRS)Weather Response System (WRS)GoalsGoals

Bring together advanced weather and road Bring together advanced weather and road condition technologiescondition technologies

Operationalize the use of weather Operationalize the use of weather information for transportation managementinformation for transportation management

Apply advisory, control and treatment Apply advisory, control and treatment strategies for road weather managementstrategies for road weather management

Serve as a model for national deploymentServe as a model for national deployment

Elements of Missouri WRS ProjectElements of Missouri WRS Project

Prototype Development including Concept Prototype Development including Concept of Operations of Operations

Prototype Enhancement and Operational Prototype Enhancement and Operational UseUse

Statewide and National DeploymentStatewide and National Deployment

Provides information on precipitation, Provides information on precipitation, temperature, dew point, wind speed, temperature, dew point, wind speed, sky cover, water vapor, etc.sky cover, water vapor, etc.

Utilizes National Weather Service Utilizes National Weather Service (NWS) digital forecast database (NWS) digital forecast database

Tested and evaluated Tested and evaluated for 3 months in for 3 months in Kansas Kansas City, MOCity, MO

Prototype WRS in Missouri DOTPrototype WRS in Missouri DOT www.mixonhill.com:8080/wrswww.mixonhill.com:8080/wrs

Prototype WRS ModulesPrototype WRS Modules

National Weather MapsNational Weather Maps Statewide Weather MapsStatewide Weather Maps Local Weather MapsLocal Weather Maps MapShowMapShow– Local ViewLocal View– Statewide ViewStatewide View– National ViewsNational Views

PlannerPlanner– Dates & TimesDates & Times

GraphicsGraphics RadarRadar

Recommended WRS EnhancementsRecommended WRS Enhancements

Longer than 7-day weather forecastsLonger than 7-day weather forecasts

Storm tracking capabilityStorm tracking capability

Info on precipitation type and rate, lightning location, Info on precipitation type and rate, lightning location, frost, pavement temperature and river crests (ESS data) frost, pavement temperature and river crests (ESS data)

Decision-support capabilitiesDecision-support capabilities

– MODSS (Maintenance and Operations Decision Support MODSS (Maintenance and Operations Decision Support System)System)

Weather Integration in TMC’sWeather Integration in TMC’s

GOALSGOALS

Review and synthesize existing practices around the Review and synthesize existing practices around the countrycountry

Identify needs and opportunities for weather integrationIdentify needs and opportunities for weather integration

Provide guidance and tools to transportation agenciesProvide guidance and tools to transportation agencies

Describe benefits of weather integrationDescribe benefits of weather integration

Weather Integration in TMC’sWeather Integration in TMC’s Baseline Conditions Report and Final ReportBaseline Conditions Report and Final Report 38 TMC’s/TOC’s surveyed, 10 visited 38 TMC’s/TOC’s surveyed, 10 visited

Five levels of integration were analyzedFive levels of integration were analyzed

– Operational, physical, technical, procedural, institutionalOperational, physical, technical, procedural, institutional

Summary of PracticesSummary of Practices– Most centers respond to traffic, not weatherMost centers respond to traffic, not weather– Use info from Weather Channel and ESSUse info from Weather Channel and ESS– 16 TMC’s receive daily weather info, only 4 integrate weather in 16 TMC’s receive daily weather info, only 4 integrate weather in

daily operations (mostly advisory purposes)daily operations (mostly advisory purposes)– MD and UT centers highly integratedMD and UT centers highly integrated

Sacramento, CA

Austin, TX

=

= Site Screened

Site Screened and/or Called

and Visited

Houston, TX

Salt Lake City, UT

Los Angeles, CA

Orlando, FL

Cherry Hill, NJ

Harrisburg, PA

Glen Burnie, MD

Atlanta, GA

Miami, FL

Cincinnati, OH

Indianapolis, IN

Rochester, NY

Hampton Roads, VA

Milwaukee, WI Detroit, MI

Franklin, TN

San Diego, CA

Seattle, WA

Albany, NY Boston,

MA

Columbus, OH

Dover, DE Denver,

CO Kansas City, MO

Raleigh NC Phoenix,

AZ

San Antonio, TX

San Francisco, CA

St. Louis, MO

Wash. DC Richmond,

VA

Long Island, NY

Minneapolis, MN

NYC, NY

TMC/TOC Sites SurveyedTMC/TOC Sites Surveyed

Recommendations for Recommendations for TMC Weather IntegrationTMC Weather Integration

Build awareness and create culture in TMC’sBuild awareness and create culture in TMC’s

Improve communications between HQ and fieldImprove communications between HQ and field

Develop guidelines and self-evaluation programsDevelop guidelines and self-evaluation programs

Improve quality of road weather dataImprove quality of road weather data

Develop weather products and tools tailored to TMC Develop weather products and tools tailored to TMC needs needs

Empirical Studies Empirical Studies on Weather and Traffic Flowon Weather and Traffic Flow

GOALSGOALS Analyze and quantify how various weather Analyze and quantify how various weather

events impact traffic flowevents impact traffic flow Improve existing knowledge on traffic flow Improve existing knowledge on traffic flow

under adverse weather conditionsunder adverse weather conditions

SCOPESCOPE Conduct Literature ReviewConduct Literature Review Develop Data Collection & Analysis PlanDevelop Data Collection & Analysis Plan Collect and Analyze DataCollect and Analyze Data Update Existing Traffic ModelsUpdate Existing Traffic Models

Research ApproachResearch Approach

Analyze over a full range of traffic statesAnalyze over a full range of traffic states Expand number of traffic stream variablesExpand number of traffic stream variables

– Previous studies limited to capacity and free Previous studies limited to capacity and free flow speedflow speed

Make use of disaggregated and localized Make use of disaggregated and localized weather dataweather data

– Detailed weather data is lacking in previous Detailed weather data is lacking in previous studiesstudies

Investigate the potential for regional Investigate the potential for regional differences in weather impacts (Baltimore, differences in weather impacts (Baltimore, Minneapolis, Seattle)Minneapolis, Seattle)

In general, snow has more impact on free-flow speed In general, snow has more impact on free-flow speed and capacity (5-20%) than rain (2-15%)and capacity (5-20%) than rain (2-15%)

Traffic density is not affected by weather. Traffic density is not affected by weather.

Low visibility with snow has higher impact on free-flow Low visibility with snow has higher impact on free-flow speed and capacity compared to low visibility with rainspeed and capacity compared to low visibility with rain

In general, snow causes more variable traffic flow than In general, snow causes more variable traffic flow than dry and rainy conditionsdry and rainy conditions

Regional differences – Precipitation impacts on Regional differences – Precipitation impacts on Minneapolis higher than Baltimore Minneapolis higher than Baltimore

Final report will be available from FHWA websiteFinal report will be available from FHWA website

Research ResultsResearch Results

ConclusionsConclusions

WRTM requires timely and accurate road weather data WRTM requires timely and accurate road weather data and forecastsand forecasts

Institutional changes are necessaryInstitutional changes are necessary

Integrating weather elements in TMC operations result Integrating weather elements in TMC operations result in significant agency and highway user benefitsin significant agency and highway user benefits

Decision-support capabilities and robust analytical Decision-support capabilities and robust analytical tools and models are essential.tools and models are essential.

RWM Training and OutreachRWM Training and Outreach

NHI Course 137030 – Principles and Tools NHI Course 137030 – Principles and Tools for Road Weather Management for Road Weather Management

Road Weather Resource Identification Road Weather Resource Identification (RWRI) Tool, Version 2.0 (RWRI) Tool, Version 2.0

MDSS RoadshowsMDSS Roadshows

roemer.alfelor@dot.govroemer.alfelor@dot.gov 202-366-9242202-366-9242 www.fhwa.dot.gov/weatherwww.fhwa.dot.gov/weather

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